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Apologies: 2 Weeks Back Together 

“I’m sorry, Simon.” 

Those are the first words the queen speaks to Simon the first time they are alone. She’d said this before, and apologized to him and Wille before, but this is the first time they’ve ever been alone. It’s the first time they’ve ever been alone, and these were the first words she’d chosen to say to him.

He couldn’t find the vocabulary to answer her adequately.

“When Erik died, I was so concentrated on making Wilhelm a king that I didn’t think about the man he’d be when he got there,” she said. “I’ve never been much of a mother, but it only grew worse after his death.”

Simon wasn’t sure why he was hearing this, but he knew better than to interrupt her. The only thing it would do was make her shut down completely. Or, even worse, make her hate him even more than she did before. He knew to keep his mouth shut.

“I should have been more empathetic as a mother. Not only to Wilhelm, but to you as well. I cannot even imagine how difficult that was for you. It was my fault that you had to go through it by yourself. I am very sorry, my boy.” Kristina put her hand out to stroke Simon’s cheek. He’d seen her do it a hundred times with Wilhelm, which is probably why Wille did it so often to him. But Simon hates when his face is touched. So he cringed away from the embrace, and Kristina safely placed her hand on his shoulder instead. “I could have done more, and from now on I will do more.” 

Simon, at first, thinks he knows better than to believe her. But it’s the sincerity in her eyes, the utter shame that he can detect...

It’s convincing. Too convincing . Convincing enough that Simon genuinely does believe her. Because a Queen, especially this Queen, never looked this shamed in front of people. It was undignified. She would only lower her guard this much if she actually meant it.

Simon sighed quietly to himself. He really shouldn’t have had so much of a soft spot for royals with shame in their eyes. He’d done almost the same thing with Wille several times before. “It’s… it’s not ok,” he managed. Kristina nodded once, a gentle smile on her face that Simon had never seen before. She knew it wasn’t ok. This was the reaction she was expecting. “What you did to Wille was not ok. What you made Wille do to me was not ok. It’s never going to be ok.” 

Kristina nodded again, brushing her palm over the Hillerska sweater she knew was her son’s. Simon noted the fact that she had looked over it twice when he first arrived. “I know,” she whispered. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know that I am sorry and that I’m going to make an effort to be your ally and not your adversary.” 

Simon took a moment to recognize that she had, indeed, not asked for forgiveness. Not even once. She’d offered her apologies, told him that she was going to make a conscious effort to alter her ways, but she’d never once asked for forgiveness. Somehow, that made him trust her more.

Before he could stop it, his hand grabbed Kristina’s. He took it gently. Simon didn’t want her to stop this affection she had been displaying, really. He simply wanted to show her that he was going to try with her the same way she was going to try with him. Mutual trust and respect. That’s all he wanted. “I think I’d like to start over,” he said.

It was almost a thought to himself, but still, the Queen had heard it and smiled at the sentiment. “I’d like that very much, Simon.”

The rest was history. 

Dinner: 3 Weeks Back Together

It was awkward the first time Simon had dinner at Drottningholm. Very awkward. He and Wille had been to the palace for meetings and at the Queen’s request two times since they’d gotten back together, but never for more than a few hours, and almost always in the morning. Dinner was different.

Dinner was definite. 

Simon was doing this. Getting involved with a Prince. A Crown Prince. 

Not that he hadn’t been pretty involved already. 

Dinner was awkward. The four of them were eating silently, avoiding most eye contact, and talking about rather unimportant things such as the weather and school. They didn’t discuss the relationship or the media uproar that had developed after Wille’s coming out. It all seemed extremely surface level and the discomfort everyone felt was palpable.

Simon was just about ready to jump out of the window.

He had no idea what they were eating. Wille had been unsure as well. He’d been assured that any dislikes or allergies had been taken into account and that asking what he was eating would only result in the two of them being chastised. Simon knew enough about Kristina to not challenge Wille’s assessment. He would not have been surprised, though, if Kristina had slipped some form of shellfish into his food in order to poison him. 

Even the staff appeared uneasy. They kept looking back and forth between Simon and the Queen as if expecting one of them to say something outlandish. Ludvig had been silently chewing his meat and frequently checking his watch. He was also waiting to see who would crack first, but he was most interested in tracking how long it took. Wille pushed vegetables about his plate and glanced across at Simon every fifteen seconds approximately.

It was awkward . 

Painfully so.

“So… Simon,” Ludvig finally started a conversation. Simon couldn’t decide whether he was more nervous or relieved to be spoken to. For the last half hour, not even Wille had been able to form words to say to him. “You’re on the rowing team?”

Simon nodded his head with a tight-lipped smile. “Yes, sir. I needed friends when I first transferred and something to do while my sister worked in the stables. Rowing seemed like it was easy enough.” Rowing had not been easy. It was the polar opposite of easy. He wished he’d realized that when he persuaded August to let him try out. He wished he’d known that during the first two months of his training, he’d wish his arms didn’t exist at all. He wished he would’ve known that he’d catch a cold from having fallen into the lake so many times. He wished he had realized that, despite how much he loved the sport, it would become his nightmare.

A throaty laugh escaped Ludvig’s lips. No matter how many times the man spoke or laughed, it never really settled with Simon. It never sounded exactly as he expected it to. “How’d that go for you?” the Prince Consort asked. 

Simon let himself grin a little wider. This man knew what he was talking about. He’d been a rower back in his prime. He knew it wasn’t easy. Simon could be honest about this. He should be honest about this. “For a few weeks it felt like I couldn’t lift a pencil,” he said.

Ludvig laughed again, and once more Simon had not expected it to sound like that. Wille appeared to relax, though, when he heard his father’s laughter. At least a little bit. His shoulders were no longer in his ears, which was an improvement.

Simon was worried that he’d done something wrong when Kristina cleared her throat across the table from him. But all she did was smile sheepishly and pick up another potato with her fork. Or Simon assumed it was a potato. “You like to sing, as well, yes?” she asked.

“Very much so,” he replied. Simon had been rowing and singing at Hillerska for the same amount of time, but he was clearly better at one than the other. Everybody there knew it, too. The Queen hadn’t been to hear him sing yet. She hadn’t seen him row either, but that wasn’t the point. “It was the one thing I bonded with my father over. My mama is lovely, but she can’t sing to save her life.”

Wille smiled at the small anecdote into Simon’s life. They didn’t talk much at all about Simon’s life while they were at Drottningholm. That , Wilhelm thought, was a pity . Simon had a considerably more fascinating life than any of them. Wille could have sat and listened to him speak for hours about anything.

“So you’re not close with your father?” Kristina pried. 

Wilhelm scraped his fork against his plate in a very undignified manner. He scolded, “ Mama !” There was a time and place for Kristina to get into this. At the dinner table was not that time nor that place.

Simon reached out and put his hand on Wille’s wrist, right above the watch Erik had given him. Simon knew this watch better than just about any other item of clothing Wille owned. Or, for that matter, any of his own clothing. This watch was more consistent than their relationship. “It’s fine, Wille. She probably already knows,” he said. 

It was true.

Kristina already knew. She was testing him. Testing his honesty. His loyalty . Even if they’d started over, there was still mistrust. So much mistrust . On both sides. “I didn’t mean to be insensitive,” she assured him. It was a lie. She’d intended to be insensitive. It was another test.

Simon shook his head with a tight-lipped smile and did his best to not look ashamed of where he came from. He’d survived hell , and he’d be damned if Kristina dragged him back. He wasn’t ashamed of where he came from. He refused to be ashamed of surviving that shit. 

“My dad is an addict. He’s not close with anyone these days,” Simon said. Kristina nodded as if this was the first time she’d heard this information. As if she hadn’t spent four months researching Simon. As if she didn’t dig up every possible document about him the moment the sex tape came out. She acted as though she didn’t know. So Simon indulged her. “The only good thing he ever did was make Sara.” 

“Sara is your sister?” Ludvig asked. His curiosity was genuine. Not like Kristina’s. Ludvig sincerely cared about Simon’s life and his family. He didn’t care about testing Simon. He just cared that Wille was happy. Happy with Simon.

Simon nodded his head as he took a sip of his lemonade. He wasn’t sure how they’d managed to get fresh lemonade in May, but he wasn’t going to ask. “She’s my best friend.” 

Wille spent most of the night glaring at his mother. They tried some small talk again, speaking more about school and things that carried little weight. They stayed away from testing Simon any longer, though Kristina kept a dauntingly close eye on him. At the end of dinner, while their plates were being cleared by the staff, the Queen cleared her throat once more. 

“You were wrong about your father, by the way,” she said. Simon wondered what else Micke could have possibly done that he didn’t know about. What else this asshole had done that would get him thrown out of the palace before he had the chance to really get to know this relationship. But Kristina didn’t have any malice in her eyes. “He did more good than just your sister. He also made you.”

The First Phone Call: 1 And A Half Months Back Together

It was a well-known fact that Simon preferred to text than to call. Always . He hated the way his voice sounded on the phone, hated the awkward lulls in conversation, and hated the unexpected nature of it all. Anyone who knew Simon knew that he preferred texting to talking on the phone.

Except with Wille .

Wille was the one person Simon was always willing to pick up the phone for. Because sometimes Wille needed to hear a voice - Simon’s voice - to calm down after having a panic attack. Their phone calls were never awkward, never seemed too forced, and were never too spontaneous. Simon absolutely despised talking on the phone unless it was Wille. 

Because Wille was different. In every way imaginable, Simon thought of Wille differently than the rest of the population. He hated most people, but not Wille. And definitely not Wille’s phone calls.

Simon was at choir rehearsal when his phone started to buzz in his pocket. His first thought was that it must have been a spam call. Wille knew that he was in rehearsal and that he should only call in an emergency. His second thought was Wille was at Drottningholm today. He had missed school completely and would not return until sometime after dinner.

Wille was probably anxious - his mother had that type of effect. He probably needed to hear Simon’s voice. Likely needed somebody to calm him down. Somebody to talk him through this. Somebody to help him breathe.

Simon now thought someone might need to calm him down. He was getting worked up just thinking about how worked up Wille was.

Simon fished his phone out of his pocket and looked down at the incoming call. Not Wille . 

Kristina . 

The Queen . He was being called by the Queen. In the middle of rehearsal.

And he couldn’t just fucking send the queen to voicemail. That had to be treason on some level, no matter who you were. Even Wille had his reservations about not picking up the phone for her. Surely Simon wasn’t on the level of neglecting her calls yet. Ignoring this would most definitely have severe repercussions for his safety: both personally and in his relationship.

He leaped out of line and headed for the door. “Simon!” the director called. 

Right . For a second, he’d forgotten what he was doing. “I- uh… I have to take this,” he said.

That was pretty much a fact. He had to answer this. Because it was most certainly about Wille, and he felt as if he couldn’t breathe until he knew Wille was safe. Even if it meant speaking with the Queen to get there. Something must have gone dreadfully wrong if the Queen was calling him instead of Wille.

Simon’s thoughts unhelpfully flashed back to the day Erik died. He couldn’t be a widow at sixteen. To someone he wasn’t even married to.

Unfortunately, no one here knew that he and Wille were back together. At least none of the students. Given that Kristina insisted on informing the headmistress and housemaster, Simon was certain that gossip about them had circulated throughout the staff. Some of his teachers had given them some not-so-subtle looks.

None of his classmates knew the extent of his connection with the royal family now, though. To most of them, he was still just the boy from the sex tape . Even after Wille confirmed they were dating prior to the release of the video. They didn’t know about Simon and Wille now. And they would never know the full story of their relationship before or after August did what he did.

“You know the rules, Simon. No phones,” the director said. Simon looked down at his phone, glanced at the door, and then back at his teacher. He turned the phone to his director with a final, defeated sigh. His phone which prominently displayed Kristina on the front of it. “Oh.. is- you mean- is that real?”

Simon scoffed and pulled his phone back to his chest. He didn’t want to risk anybody else seeing the contact and filling in the gaps. They were keeping it private this time. “Of course it’s real! Do you really think I want a heart attack every time I look at my phone?” Simon didn’t wait for an answer, nor for approval. He turned around and walked out the door. He needed to answer, not only because she was the queen , but because this was Wille’s mother. “Hello?”

“Simon! How have you been, darling?” Kristina’s voice was lively. Not like something terrible had happened at all. Not like this was the call he received as a notification that his boyfriend dropped dead of a panic attack.

He didn’t say anything for a moment. There were too many competing thoughts running wild in his head. Why was she calling? Was this a serious situation? Where was Wille? Did anything happen? What was the point of calling him in the middle of a rehearsal? Did she know it was three o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon and he had things to do?

His mouth, on the other hand, knew exactly what the most important question was. “Is Wille alright?” he asked. He didn’t even have to think about the question before asking it. It was, after all, why he’d answered the phone in the first place.

On the other end of the phone, Kristina hummed. “Yes,” she said, “I just put him in the car on the way back to school.” Simon relaxed a little. Wille was fine . This wasn’t a phone call alerting him of some horrible tragedy. It wasn’t a call telling him that Wille was having a panic attack and couldn’t breathe. Wille was fine . “We’ve been talking about you most of the day, though, and I remembered we haven’t spoken in quite some time.”

Simon’s first impulse was to give her a piece of his mind for scaring him. His second instinct was to just go with it. Most of the choir singers didn’t pay attention to him for the right reasons anyway: a sex tape threw a wrench in his plans to win their hearts with his voice alone. They knew him for other things now, which sucked, but not really.

Besides, going back in now would only make the director think this phone call wasn’t as important as he thought it was.

It wasn’t really important, but that wasn’t the point. This was the Queen . He’d take as much time as he damn well pleased.

“I was worried. Sometimes Wille calls when he’s… when he’s not doing his best. In social situations,” Simon confessed. That was a confession he didn’t think he needed to make. Anyone who knew Wille knew the Prince had anxiety.

On the other end of the line, Kristina sucked her teeth. “Of course. Well, he’s always been a bit jumpy,” she remarked.

Simon didn’t know what had gotten into him. This was the Queen. This was Wille’s mother . He had absolutely no right to argue with her. He had absolutely no right to protect his boyfriend against her. He had no right to be angry with her in the first place. Not about this.

And yet: “He’s not jumpy, he has anxiety,” he snapped. Bravery had never been a problem for Simon, but this. was. the. god. damn. queen . There were some circumstances in which he should have been more cowardly. Especially if it was to the Queen, regarding her son’s anxiety. Her son, who he had been dating. Nevertheless, something nagged at him. This was something he needed to argue with her about. Because it was Wille . “He’s had anxiety. Anxiety that didn’t get better after he was outed by a sex tape you made him deny.”

The silence that enveloped him a moment later was deafening. Everything was quiet. His own breathing, the hallways, the phone, the Queen. Silent . There wasn’t a single noise. He’d just scolded the Queen. The Queen . And Wille’s mother . He had scolded her. The silence was strikingly close to that of the moments leading up to execution.

And her silence was telling enough. He had majorly fucked up. 

“I- I’m sorry. That was-”

“You’re good for him, Simon.” Her voice was steady. Simon was beginning to wonder if this was another test. If he’d passed or if he’d failed. “You’re going to be good for all of us, dear. I look forward to getting to know you.” 

The call ended soon after that. He didn’t actually manage to understand anything else that was being said, nor the time it officially ended. Everything else seemed to go in a blur. He acted as though he’d just cheated death and was trying to figure out how it had happened. He was still staring at his phone when Felice walked out the door with his backpack.

“It was the Queen, right?” she’d asked. Simon nodded his head, still very much in a daze, and asked how she knew. “Mr. Nilsson mumbled something about you and ‘ God save the queen. ’ I put it together.” 

Wille returned later that night, and Simon told him about what had happened. Neither of them knew what that meant for them, much less what it meant for Simon and Kristina. However, following that day, Simon and Kristina spoke on the phone regularly.

It was a well-known fact that Simon preferred to text than to call. Always . He hated the way his voice sounded on the phone, hated the awkward lulls in conversation, and hated the unexpected nature of it all. Anyone who knew Simon knew that he preferred texting to talking on the phone. Except with Wille and Kristina. 

Birthday: 4 Months Back Together

Wilhelm was opposed to this friendship. The bond that was rapidly developing between his mother and Simon. He knew his mother, and he knew Simon, and he had no clue how the two of them were getting along. They were so different. Too different.

Kristina’s whole world was the monarchy. Simon’s whole world was opposing it. 

They didn’t work. It shouldn’t have worked. The fact that it was working made Wilhelm very, very nervous. It had been four months of peace, and something had to go wrong at some point. The PR team hadn’t been called in a month, August hadn’t been brought up in nearly three, and they’d been together for four. Four amazing, peaceful, wonderful months.

Wilhelm was certain that some kind of scandal was about to fuck this up. Though they never went public officially, the media’s theories about Simon and Wille weren’t exactly subtle. They’d asked Kristina if they could be together and not say anything in public, and she’d agreed. A few of their friends knew, but not all of them. Their families were really the only ones that knew.

Their families who were now very involved in their lives.

Something was surely about to fuck this up. 

And then it happened . 

His mother’s 55th Birthday Party. A party that not even Wilhelm wanted to attend. There would be a hundred people he didn’t recognize, another hundred who hadn’t seen him since he’d come out, and a thousand reporters clamoring for a picture or a statement.

He didn’t want to go. And he didn’t want to make Simon go, either. 

Wilhelm had spent the entire morning following his mother around Drottningholm. He’d come back home from the Erikssons’ for the weekend because of the party. He was supposed to stay with them for another week before he’d return to Drottningholm. Then the party happened, and he had to come back. He’d come without Simon hoping to persuade his mother not to invite him in the final few hours. “Mama, no! Hasn’t he had enough media attention?”

Kristina wasn’t having it. She’d been listening to his whining all morning, waiting patiently for him to give in. He hadn’t yet . “Wilhelm, he’s your boyfriend ,” Kristina sighed. The Queen sounded like she had lost all hope with her son. She signed one of the papers for the florists and then guided them to the hall where the party was going to be held. “He’s in a relationship with the Crown Prince. Part of the job is dealing with the press. You both know that.”

“But why does he have to come to this? It’s only 55. It’s not like it’s an important birthday!” 

His mother came to a complete stop in the middle of the hallway and turned to face him. She tried her hardest not to be insulted by that. He didn’t mean it. He was just worried about his boyfriend. She knew that, deep down. “I am the Queen , Wilhelm. Every birthday is important,” she said. Wilhelm’s face screwed up in frustration. She was right, of course, but now was not the time to have that argument. “Simon is a significant part of our lives now. He’s coming. We confirmed it on the phone this morning.”

Wille stood in the center of the entry hall, arms folded like a toddler, while Kristina walked away. “Stop calling my boyfriend!” he shouted after her. Some of the decorating crew laughed at him, but he huffed and hurried back to his room.

He did have to get ready for the party, regardless of how much he didn’t want to go.

And no matter how hard Wille tried to persuade both his mother and his boyfriend not to go through with it, Simon was going to show up.

Four months. 

They’d had four peaceful months. 

Wilhelm’s suit, to be expected, was a classical black and white tuxedo. Black bow tie and everything. We are the monarchy, Wilhelm, and we will look like it, so help me god, were the approximate words of his stylist.

As much as he hated acknowledging it, being a Kronprins was becoming a lot easier these days. It was difficult without Erik, and it always would be, but he was stepping into his new position quite well.

At least that’s what his parents and Simon said. 

His wrist felt naked that night. His mother had told him not to wear his watch - Erik’s watch - because the silver band clashed with his gold cufflinks. He knew better than to argue, and honestly, she was right, though it still left him feeling just slightly uneasy. He hadn’t taken the watch off in nine months. Not since Erik’s death. He didn’t want to take it off.

Kristina, Ludvig, and Wilhelm stood in front of the palace’s massive front doors. Wilhelm didn’t think he could really consider these to be doors. They looked much more like walls. Either way, that’s where they were standing, waiting for the guests to start arriving. Wille was swaying back and forth on his feet, which was irritating the hell out of his mother.

The sea of photographers was far larger than Wilhelm had anticipated. He was beginning to become very anxious at the thought of them all asking him to pose and questioning him about every tiny detail of his life. His hand wanted to move to his chest, or maybe even his mouth, but he was getting a lot better at repressing those urges. Particularly when-

Simon . 

He was here. He was among the first to arrive. He’d actually come. He’d arrived with Felice and Madison to make his presence less obvious. Felice had been invited, Madison was her plus one, and Simon was apparently a member of the royal fucking family.

Because they were Wille’s main circle of friends, the three of them had received a lot of press attention in the last few months. They were always out together. Their pictures were often featured in teen magazines and on gossip blogs. Initially, they started hanging out because Maddie and Felice were the only people who knew about Simon and Wille, but then they just began to like each other. Now the friend group had grown to seven people, and they were still hanging out just like before. However, the four of them continued to be the media’s primary focus. Simon and Wille for being the Crown Prince and his “alleged lover.” Felice for being a representative of the modern nobility. Madison for being… well, for just being herself. She’d become sort of a fashion icon.

It wasn’t surprising that the three of them were here, and Simon’s presence was considerably less suspicious if the girls were with him. They weren’t hiding anymore, but they both knew it would be easier for the time being to keep the press at bay. Inside the party, they could be themselves and be a couple. Outside, on this ridiculous red carpet, they’d have to keep their distance at least a little.

But Simon looked good. Really good. So good that Wille didn’t know if he was going to be able to keep the distance that they’d already discussed keeping. Reporters be damned. 

Simon’s suit was entirely black. Even the tie. The only splash of color came from a little purple pocket square. A pocket square that Wilhelm continued to keep his eye on until Simon had joined them at the top of the stairs. Wilhelm couldn’t even remember the posing that the trio of his friends must have done in order to get here. Surely they’d taken their time getting photographed by the paparazzi, and yet he sincerely couldn’t remember.

Madison and Felice greeted Kristina and Ludvig politely, shaking hands and bowing their heads in respect. They were meant to do this with Wille, but he shook his head and pulled them into tight hugs instead. He kissed each of their hands, told them they looked beautiful, and then let them abandon him so they could go enjoy the beverages and hors d’oeuvres his mother had decided to serve for her party.

Simon extended a handshake to Ludvig, which quickly turned into a hug. Every single reporter and photographer had stopped to take a photograph of it. Kristina and Simon kissed each other on the cheek. Another newsworthy moment. They’d undoubtedly read about it in the papers on Monday morning. But it was two days away, and there was nothing to worry about right now. Or at least that’s what Wille was telling himself when Simon’s attention finally shifted to his.

“Hello, mi amor,” Simon said. There were no reporters this close to them, and more interesting people had begun to walk the carpet, so it was a very brief moment of privacy that they’d get. Or, at the very least, the illusion of privacy. Technically, television cameras were set up all over the place to record this. It was on some network that Wille usually avoided because his face was normally on it. “You look lovely.”

Wille didn’t even care anymore. He’d come out to the country without an issue. Felice and Madison knew, their families knew, most news outlets were starting to figure it out. Fuck it . He tilted forward and pushed a small kiss to Simon’s cheek, running a finger over the pocket square as he pulled away. “I like the color,” he said sincerely.

Simon smiled at him. That smile that Wilhelm thought was dangerous because Simon could use it to get whatever he wanted from the Crown Prince. “It was Nahim’s idea.” 

Nahim was Simon’s stylist. Yes, Simon had a stylist now because he’s dating the Crown Prince, Wille, he needs to look the part. This had gone well for the most part. Simon was given the opportunity to have his input, and they only used the stylist for public events. Not that much changed, except that Simon now had a collection of very, very expensive suits.

The issue was with Nahim , and the fact that he was the most gorgeous man that either one of them had ever seen. Seriously. It wasn’t fair . He was tall, his skin was deeply brown, and his eyes were the most brilliant blue either of them had ever seen. He was 24, extremely fit (he revealed he used to play rugby in London), and immaculately dressed. He was a style icon, with Maddie as his only competition, and his curls, my god, his curls . And, by some divine intervention, he was straight .

Wille and Simon were both completely and thoroughly crushing.

They avoided both Nahim and each other at first. Neither one of them noticed the other was doing it for a while. The only thought in either of their brains was this has to be cheating somehow. But then, since they couldn’t go more than twenty minutes without each other, they broke.

They both revealed their crush on Nahim and it genuinely became a bonding moment. After a very awkward conversation and a lot of laughter later, they’d finally agreed that Nahim would not be the end-all-be-all of their relationship. He was just their undeniably attractive stylist. Simon’s stylist. They could both have a crush on an unfairly attractive heterosexual man and still only love each other.

“Nahim is very smart,” Wille mumbled, still toying with the purple silk between his fingers. Simon hummed and straightened Wille’s bowtie for him. 

While the guests arrived, Simon and Wille stayed side by side. It attracted a few stares at first, but then some people started to recognize Simon from the video and quickly diverted their eyes. Any knowing look would just confirm that they’d seen it, and they didn’t want to confess to something like that .

Not at the Queen’s 55th Birthday Party.

After an ungodly amount of time, Kristina linked her arm in Simon’s and proceeded to walk inside with him. Wille and his father shared a look . Apparently, neither of them was good enough to accompany her tonight. She wanted Wille’s socialist boyfriend to escort her to the party instead. They both realized this friendship had been developing, but neither of the men knew it had gotten to this extent. They knew about the phone calls, and the texting, and the scheming to get Wille to go to Drottningholm more often, but they didn’t know about this. About Kristina’s preference for Simon’s company above either of theirs. Ludvig found it encouraging. Wilhelm found it unnerving.

The next unnerving moment came when a waiter approached the group of them. “Can I offer your highnesses a drink?” the man had asked. 

Kristina jumped in before anybody could answer. “Wille would like a glass of champagne. Simon doesn’t drink. Could you please fetch him a lime soda water from the bar?”

Wilhelm and Simon both looked at her with puzzled expressions on their faces.

“What? Did I get it wrong?” 

No . She hadn’t . That’s what was confusing . 

Both boys gave her a shake of their heads. At the queen’s request, Wilhelm was given a glass of champagne with a strawberry in it, and the waiter ran off to get Simon a glass of soda water. Her vast knowledge of their drinking habits was unsettling, but it wasn’t anything to discuss right now.

“Happy Birthday, Kristina,” Simon said. 

Kristina sighed at him and lightly swatted his arm. “Simon, you’ve already said it five times today, and it’s not even my birthday yet,” she said. To the others in the room, it had to have been a strange scene. Statesmen and celebrities alike had joined them for this celebration, and yet the Queen was standing there, chatting away, arm and arm with the boy from the sex scandal. The boy from the sex scandal, who, to the best of their knowledge, had no reason to be there. “You can tell me again in the morning when it’s actually my birthday. Of course, you’ll stay the night.”

Kristina said farewell to both boys with a pat on the shoulders. Simon and Wille took a moment to stare at each other, both out of confusion, and the pure need to see more of each other. “Did my mother just order you to stay in my room for the night?” Wille had finally managed to sort out his thoughts, and that was the first question out of his mouth.

Simon shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea what was going on, either, but he had enough clothing here at Drottningholm to get through the night. Besides, he wasn’t the only one who had plans to stay the night that night. Many nobles were about to get exceedingly drunk and possibly loose-lipped. If they went back home, they were doing it in secret. After a night like this, no one wanted to see the paparazzi.

Madison and Felice were engaged in a lively discussion with the Princess of some country Simon had never heard of. They were speaking in English, which was Simon’s third language, and he made a conscious effort to avoid it. He was always three steps behind when he was speaking in English, and he loathed it. He was smart - smarter than most people - and being three steps behind made it seem as though he wasn’t.

As a result, he spent most of the night at Wille’s side. Ludvig was also around for most of their evening. The Prince Consort mostly acted as a buffer. His role was to continue the conversation when Wille or Simon didn’t know what else to say. Simon found it strangely comforting to have him around.

Wilhelm had been nursing the same glass of champagne for two hours. He was attempting not to drink too quickly, or at all. ‘Loose-lips-sink-ships,’ or something like that. To be fair, the last time Wilhelm had been intoxicated was a few months earlier, and it had gone very poorly. He’d taken an unintentional dip in the lake. Walter and Henry found it hilarious. Felice and Sara were too drunk to stop it. As the group’s parents that night, Madison and Simon were both concerned that everyone would get sick. It had been a disaster.

Not as disastrous as this, though.

The gentleman standing in front of the couple was incredibly boring. Wille had been politely chatting with him for about twenty minutes, and every time one of them attempted to flee, he said something absurd that made them stay and talk even longer. So far, they’d spoken about school systems, international policy, an orange cat called Tybalt, and a small child who was going to eventually inherit an economic empire. Ibiza , Simon thinks.

“So… Wilhelm, my wife tells me you are a gay now,” the man said. 

Wilhelm froze, his lips slightly parted. Simon nearly spit out his drink. Sure, everyone at the party had considered questioning Wilhelm about his coming out, but he was the first person to do it, and he’d done it in such a rude manner that Simon thought he must be joking.

He wasn’t , though. The man looked incredibly serious. 

“I- I’m sorry?” Simon stuttered. Wilhelm might have been frozen, but Simon sure as hell wasn’t. He had always been the more vocal of the two, and definitely the more protective one. “For your-” 

“Unlabeled, Pius,” Ludvig’s voice was deep and quite loud. Ludvig didn’t say much, but when he did, it always shook Simon. His voice was never quite what Simon expected. “Wille is unlabeled. Not gay.” The Prince Consort clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. His son who was still very much frozen in shock. Simon welcomed Ludvig’s intervention. Because he was on the verge of cursing this man out in the middle of a classy party. A classy party for the Queen, who he was finally starting to like quite a bit. “Why don’t you and Simon go locate your mother, Wilhelm? Dinner will be ready soon.”

Simon grabbed Wilhelm’s hand and dragged him away from the mess. Ludvig would surely be educating Pius on how to properly use the term gay and how to avoid bringing it up in conversation. Neither of them needed to be there for that.

When they approached Kristina, she was smiling. A young woman with a sour expression walked away from her, which Simon assumed was because she’d been sent away when Kristina saw her son.

As the pair moved through the party, a young lady dressed entirely in black trailed closely behind them. Simon hadn’t met this employee yet, and based on her lack of knowledge of who he was, he assumed she had been hired just for the party. “Sir, may I help you in locating your seat?” she’d asked him.

Simon was going to say yes and bid Wille and Kristina farewell. There was a system to these things- royal parties - and his seat being on the other side of the ballroom made sense. He’d probably be sitting with Felice and Maddie as well as some D-List celebrities who had gotten lucky enough to receive an invitation.

But he didn’t get the chance.

“No, Simon will sit with the rest of the family,” Kristina said. 

Simon had half a brain to make the argument about how that might look, but he knew better. Yes, it would be peculiar for Simon, who had only been known for controversy, to be sitting with the Royal Family. But it wasn’t like no one had put the puzzle pieces together as to who he was to them. Everyone in the room must have realized Simon was more than simply a scandal at this point.

Wille just smiled at him. It was strange to watch his mother and boyfriend get along, but it was nice. It was weird in a nice way. Wille was starting to appreciate the peace.

The rest of the family consisted of Ludvig, Wille, Simon, August’s mother (who apologized twice to the couple during the night), Kristina’s fourth cousin Winnefred, Ludvig’s brother Gustav, and a few other relatives who had been able to attend. All of their other relatives were apparently under the age of fourteen. That night, Simon discovered that nobility were not allowed to attend these kinds of gatherings until they were fifteen years old. Or until they were a prince - if they were Wille.

Wille smiled at him for a long time, which eventually prompted Simon to ask the question: “What are you smiling at?” 

Wille bit his bottom lip as he watched his boyfriend interact perfectly with the rest of his family. He was a perfect fit. They were all fond of him. He hadn’t made a single mistake or said anything inappropriate. Simon was, as Wille had known this whole time, perfect . “It’s erm… she asked you to sit in Erik’s seat,” he answered, doing his best not to tear up.

That was the night both of them realized that Kristina saw Simon as a permanent part of their family. She didn’t think he was a menace. She didn’t think he was a fling. Simon was permanent . He’d be around for a very long time - long enough that he could sit in a permanent seat at their table.

He also sat in Erik’s place for breakfast. Soon enough, it was Simon’s seat.

Amsterdam: 5 Months Back Together

The month of August had always been the month of travel for the Royal Family. It had been that way since Wilhelm was a child. Their vacations typically began shortly after Kristina’s birthday and concluded a few days before Wilhelm or Erik went back to school.

However, this year was a little strange. Traveling without Erik seemed wrong. Knowing Erik would have wanted them to go made it even harder.

He’d been gone for nearly ten months now. The ache was still there, and it would always be there, but it was getting better. Wille didn’t pick up his phone to call Erik as frequently as he used to. Kristina had stopped telling Wille to ask his brother about things. Ludvig didn’t put out a glass of whiskey for his eldest anymore. The ache was still there, but it was getting easier.

And, since Wilhelm and his parents knew they’d never be able to make it through a month of travel on their own, he often got to bring Simon along. To, ironically, keep the peace.

Erik would have liked that , Wilhelm thinks. Would have liked Simon being on vacation with them. The two of them chasing Wille around the pool. Simon humming local songs as he prepared himself a plate for breakfast. The two of them wandering around the streets late at night while Wilhelm tried his very best to find directions to the house they were staying at. Yes, Erik would have loved this. 

And Wilhelm loved it, too. 

For a while . 

The trip to Spain had been amazing. Wille had been more than thrilled when Kristina advised him to bring Simon. It had been wonderful to spend three days sunning together in a place where no one cared who they were. They enjoyed a few drinks, danced at the little club on the beach, and had their own suite at the resort. It had been incredible.

Paris had been great. Two nights in the heart of the city of love. They ate breakfast at local cafés, saw a few street performers, and kissed at The Louvre like it was a scene from a movie. The romantic dinner had been somewhat thrown off when his parents crashed it, but it was still good, nonetheless.

Japan had been fine. A week at a resort had been a great way to relax, but Simon and Kristina had spent most of their time together. Museums, and shows, and other things had taken up the majority of their time. Simon still had time for Wille, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Wille had spent most of his week with Ludvig, doing things he didn’t really enjoy, but his time with Simon had been good. It was fine .

Berlin had been… Berlin . Another week was spent in a house they owned in the area. Wilhelm spent most of his time on the vacation in libraries and museums, while Simon and Kristina went shopping and saw the sites. Ludvig spent most of his time at restaurants and cafés. Wilhelm spent much of his trip with Malin, who was pissy because Angelica didn’t go on that trip with them. Wille and Malin stayed together for most of Berlin Week, angrily eating Bienenstich.

Simon went home to Bjärstad after they returned from Berlin, and Wille was relieved to have some time alone. There was just one trip left for the summer before they returned for their Second Year at Hillerska, and he was genuinely looking forward to it. Because Simon would not be there, and they would be able to carry on with their family traditions. It would be the last week in which he could be free of his mother and boyfriend’s friendship. He’d be free to go out on his own and explore the city. He would be able to do the things he wanted to do with Erik, but couldn’t. For one last week, he’d be able to have his parents to himself.

“You’re jealous,” Malin said. 

“I am not.” 

He wasn’t. Absolutely not. Why would he be jealous of his mother and Simon hanging out? Why would he be jealous of them getting along? Why would he care that they’d left him alone because they enjoyed each other’s company more than his? 

Well, shit.  

Maybe he was jealous. But he didn’t know who he was jealous of. Was he jealous of his mother for getting Simon’s attention? Or was he jealous of Simon for getting his mother’s attention? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. It was over now. The vacations had ended. One more week of Summer Holiday was all that was left, and he wasn’t going to need to pay attention to that nagging feeling anymore, because Simon wouldn’t be there.

He tried not to think of the feeling of dread in his stomach when he thought about Simon not being there. They’d spent every day together for the previous month, and almost every day for the previous five months. Simon was a constant. Wille needed him to breathe sometimes. He was used to having Simon there at all times. It was a strange sensation to not want Simon around.

It would be strange not to have him around all the time. Not having Simon in his bed every morning. Not receiving a goodnight kiss every evening. It wasn’t going to feel good.

But it was needed . Wilhelm was sure this was needed.

Because Simon and Kristina needed to get some fucking distance if Wille was going to survive this. 

“We leave in two days?” Wille asked over breakfast one morning. Even after Berlin, he hadn’t really recovered from Japan. He couldn’t always determine which day it was. He’d been traveling too much.

Ludvig sipped his coffee and murmured something of an answer to let Wilhelm know he was correct. “Should be lovely this time of year,” he said. There was a reason they’d picked Amsterdam as their last destination. Erik had always adored it.

“Oh, do bring Simon. He had such a lovely time in Berlin. It’s only fitting we bring him with us to Amsterdam,” Kristina added. She’d just walked in, still dressed in her nightdress. She kissed Ludvig on the cheek before taking her seat across from Wille.

Across from Wille, who was now glaring at his toast. “If you like him so much, why don’t you just adopt him?” he asked. It wasn’t really a question. More like an accusation. It was clear who he was jealous of, now. Simon . Because his parents were paying more attention to Simon than they were to him. Sure, he knew Simon was charming and had quickly won over the Queen and Prince Consort, but this was getting out of hand. At this point, it seemed that they preferred to be around Simon rather than him.

Wille understood that much, actually. Wanting Simon to be around more than anyone else in the world. Even more than family.

Kristina looked at her son with an amused smile. “Well, I would adopt him, Wilhelm, but I think that would make your marriage quite a bit more difficult,” she said. It was undoubtedly a joke she’d made before, judging by the way it so effortlessly slipped off her tongue. The suggestion of Wilhelm marrying this boy. “Or is that no longer your intention here?”

Wilhelm didn’t answer. He merely took a mouthful of his toast before grumbling even louder. Ludvig set down his paper and stared at his son, who was acting quite a bit like a toddler who’d had his favorite toy taken away. “Wille, he doesn’t have to go if you don’t want him to. We just thought you wanted to spend more time as a family.”

Wille melted a little at that. The idea that his parents saw Simon as part of the family. Sure, he knew before, but this was a little different. This was the first time Ludvig was actually saying it out loud. Ludvig . His silent, brooding Prince Consort father. “I just… wish you guys didn’t like him more than you like me.” 

It was a whisper. It was so quiet that he wasn’t sure he’d actually said it at all. Kristina must have heard it, though, and was lunging across the room to pull Wilhelm’s head close to her chest. “My boy, what got that idea into your head?” she questioned. Wilhelm thought briefly about the fact that this was the first hug he had received from her in weeks. Most of her hugs were given to Simon these days. “Älskling, we love Simon, and we want to get to know him better because you love him, but you are always our priority. I promise.” 

Simon did end up going to Amsterdam. The family traditions carried on as usual, and they spoke a lot about Erik. This year, Simon was able to participate in the festivities, and despite the fact that he had never met Erik in person, none of them could deny how much they would have adored one other. Wilhelm was still a tad jealous of Simon and Kristina’s relationship at times, but his mother’s words at the end of their conversation about Amsterdam stuck with him for years. 

You are always our priority. I promise. 

New Year’s: 9 Months Back Together

Without a doubt, New Year’s Eve was Wilhelm’s least favorite holiday. It was just an excuse for adults to drink too much and stay up late, as if they didn’t do that every other day of the year. The only difference was that they were all dressed up in black and gold and pretending like they hadn’t done this before.

Plus, it was a media nightmare. One drink too many, one slip of the tongue, one accidental touch, and it was all over. The place was crawling with photographers. 

This was definitely Wille’s least favorite holiday. 

What made matters worse was that Simon was unable to attend the party. He had a New Year’s Eve tradition of spending it with Linda, Sara, and Rosh. Ayub came around sometimes for the evening, but it was really about keeping Rosh out of her house. Or at least that’s how it started. Now it was just a fun tradition for them all. And, because Wilhelm had essentially forced the Erikssons to come to Drottningholm for Christmas, he felt it was only right to let them be for New Year’s.

New Year’s was, without a doubt, Simon’s favorite holiday. It was an excuse for him and Rosh to get all dressed up and walk around like royalty and stay up late. This year was going to consist of a lot of teasing, they all knew, since Simon was practically actual royalty now. They played games and watched movies, and very occasionally, Simon would take a sip of champagne. Plus, it was always fun to watch what their favorite celebrities were doing.

Simon would never admit that he’d been keeping tabs on the Royal New Year’s Gala every year for most of his life. 

This was definitely Simon’s favorite holiday. 

The only thing that could bring his mood down was knowing that Wille was miserable . They’d been messaging about Wille’s anxiety all evening, but he didn’t really need his boyfriend’s confirmation. Wille was on television all night. Cameras were naturally drawn to him: the boyish crown prince with the charming smile.

Or that’s what the media saw. 

Simon saw his boyfriend. Wille . Who was wearing that princely facade and was very clearly anxious. Simon texted Wille throughout the night to reassure him that he was doing well, but he knew it was pointless. Wilhelm wasn’t really a people person. Not beyond Simon. 

At the party, Wilhelm had lost his one sense of sanity. His little cousin Aron was finally old enough to join the festivities. Aron was Ludvig’s brother’s kid. Wilhelm had been forced to go since he could talk, but that was because he was a prince. Most Nobles didn’t start to attend these parties until they were fifteen. Aron had just turned fifteen, which meant it was his first New Year’s Party. 

Even though they didn’t see one another very much, Aron and Wilhelm had always gotten along. Gustav had moved his family to Finland after the death of his wife, so Aron didn’t come around as often as he used to. This party, though, was apparently too spectacular to skip.

The boys had spotted each other immediately. Two years’ age difference wasn’t too much, and they’d always played well together as children. They gravitated toward each other before their parents could stop them and spent most of the night joined at the hip. However, somewhere around ten-thirty, Wilhelm had lost sight of his younger cousin. There was plenty of young, suitable nobility here, and Wilhelm was well aware that Aron had high expectations for marriage. Unlike him, as he had been reminded numerous times during the evening.

He had stopped himself from punching Simon’s name out of snobby people’s mouths multiple times.

The middle-aged woman in front of Wilhelm now had introduced herself as the Duchess of Valentinois. Wilhelm couldn’t even begin to remember where that was. He was supposed to be polite, though, so he pretended he knew where it was, smiled with the charm he’d perfected over the years, and acted as if he were incredibly interested in every word that came out of her mouth. Years of etiquette training, all leading to this moment. He reminded himself of the cameras. Now was not the time to let the facade slip.

“Sir,” Malin interrupted them. Wilhelm had never been more relieved to hear the sound of his security’s voice. For the first time, he turned his head to look at her, realizing that even she was dressed up. Her hair was curled, and she was dressed in a black pantsuit. Wilhelm thought she looked pretty. “You’re needed.” 

Wilhelm bid the Duchess farewell with a modest nod and then followed Malin out into the hall. When he wasn’t at the party, he felt as if he could finally breathe. There were no cameras out there, no people wanting to talk to him because of his title, and no girls asking to be “shown around” as if he didn’t know what their intentions were.

All of those girls knew about Simon, of course. This was more of an offer to “turn him straight.” An offer he had absolutely no intention of taking them up on. He was perfectly content with his silly little boyfriend and his queer relationship and his unlabeled status.

He was more than content.

He was happy.

Malin had always been able to tell when things were becoming too much for him. That’s most likely why she had him escorted out of the party. “Thanks,” he said. Malin gave him a kind grin and adjusted the gold band on her ring finger. Wilhelm wondered whether her wife was still at Simon’s house or if she was here tonight. Being on security for Wille and Simon usually meant they were together, but sometimes they still had to split up. It was never for more than a few days at a time. “It was nice of you to save me.” 

Malin gave a single nod before motioning her hand down the hallway. “You were actually needed, though,” she said. “Your room.”

Wilhelm made his way to his suite with his head down. He didn’t know which of those girls had managed to find his residential wing, but he was sure as hell going to drag her out kicking and screaming if he had to.

The audacity, he thought. 

Some of these girls didn’t even like him. He knew that. They thought he was awkward and quiet and, honestly, none of them really wanted to talk to him. The only reason they took an interest in him was because he was a Prince. A Prince they thought they could fix.

The door to his room slowly swung open. He didn’t have the energy to be mad. He’d spent all of his energy on being polite and charming to the guests his mother had invited. Kristina, maybe even more than Wilhelm, was disappointed that Simon couldn’t make it tonight. The rest of the guest list had been characterized as “exceptionally boring.” Wilhelm wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment.

Except for Aron. Aron was fine. 

At first, he didn’t see anyone. No one was walking around the room, gaping at the size of it. No one was looking over the pictures of Erik and Simon on his desk. No one was staring at the picture of Simon, Kristina, and Ludvig on his nightstand. No one was looking at his new posters, or the game console, or the television. At first, Wilhelm didn’t see anyone at all, because no one was acting like this was the Crown Prince’s bedroom . 

But then a pillow was thrown at his head. “Took you long enough!” Wilhelm’s eyes drifted to his bed, where Simon sat in all his beauty. “I’ve been waiting here for like twenty minutes,” he said. 

Wilhelm paused for a moment to look over the boy. He was dressed in a suit, his shirt was silk and he didn’t have a tie on. It matched the theme of the night. Wilhelm did his very best to not cringe at the fact that this was his first thought. “How did you get here?” Wilhelm asked, practically face planting into his boyfriend’s lap. 

Simon laughed at him and ruffled his hair with his fingertips. “I saw you on TV and figured you needed rescuing. Angelica said she’d drive me,” Simon explained. So Malin was going to get to see her wife tonight. That was good. 

Wilhelm hummed happily as he looked up at Simon. “You’re too good to me,” he said. Simon responded by leaning down and pressing a kiss on Wilhelm’s lips. He attempted to pull away, but Wille planted his hand in Simon’s curls and brought him back down, earning yet another chuckle from Simon. “They’ll notice I’m gone soon.” 

When Wille stroked his mouth along the curve of Simon’s ear, he felt his cheeks heat up. Wille hadn’t even really kissed; he’d just dragged his lips along until they reached Simon’s earlobe. Simon could hear the catch in his own breathing as he waited for Wille to do something, anything . Wille kissed the skin beneath his ear and then sucked the lobe in between his teeth. Simon’s skin felt agonizingly sensitive. Simon made a high, desperate sound and cocked his head to give Wille access to do anything he wanted.

“Damn Crown Prince,” was all Wilhelm could make out in Simon’s sentence. 

Wille began kissing Simon’s neck once again, tugging up the silk shirt Simon was wearing enough for Wille to lick his skin. The shirt would wrinkle, but Simon didn’t even care anymore. With one hand, he gripped Wille’s shoulder and pulled him down. Simon pulled Wille on top of him, and Wille was more than pleased with that plan. He repositioned them so Simon’s thighs rested on Wille’s hips, and-

This was probably not the plan for the night. 

But neither of them stopped it. Because they hadn’t seen each other in a week and that was seven days too many. Plus, Simon had come to Wille’s rescue, and that was deserving of a reward. Wilhelm thought this was the least he could do, as if he were doing this for just Simon and absolutely not for himself. 

The only thing either of them can really remember after that is lips. So many lips. In so many places. Necks, chests, cheeks, lips. Simon was in his underwear now. Wille’s shirt was unbuttoned, though he hadn’t removed anything else other than his suit jacket. Lips . Wille never wanted to stop feeling those lips on every part of his body. 

The sounds he was eliciting from Simon made him think that Simon was thinking the exact same thing. They’ve always been like this. Made for one another. They fit perfectly and could get this reaction without having to communicate through many words at all. 

But then, of course, someone noticed that Wille was missing. 

At first, there was just a knock on the door. Wille made the mistake of telling the person to come back later. This, of course, only proved that Wille was in his room. That earned another knock. “Wilhelm, you are missing the party!”

Kristina . 

Simon and Wilhelm jumped away from each other. “ Shit .” It wasn’t clear who said it first, but it was reasonable to assume they were both thinking it. Simon gathered his clothes off the floor and attempted to put them on, but Wilhelm pushed him towards the closet. “Just a second!” he called out to his mother. 

Wilhelm was barely able to close the door of the closet when the door of his bedroom flew open. He’d apparently forgotten to lock it. He leaned against the closed door, his arms folded across his chest. He hoped she wouldn’t question him too much about his state of undress.

He’d hoped wrong.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked. “Who’s in there, Wilhelm?” 

He wasn’t sure what she was more upset about: the fact that he’d left the party, or that he’d left with someone. “It’s…” he tried to think of some excuse. Some way to say that no one was in the closet, that he was just here by himself, and definitely not coming down off a very heated make-out session. Then there was a bang in the closet, as if Simon had tripped. Wille couldn’t very well hide that. “ Simon . He came to say hello.” 

Kristina didn’t appear bothered by the confession. She was much more concerned about how it looked for the two of them - the Queen and the Crown Prince - to have both left the New Year’s Party they were supposed to be hosting.

“Simon-? But… Wilhelm, it’s New Year’s Eve! What could be so important that you’re in your room with your boyfriend instead of- ‘’ it seemed Kristina had not taken note of his state of undress until this very moment, in which Wilhelm could see the switch flip in her head. Suddenly, she was very aware of what they were doing, and why Simon was literally in the closet. “ Oh. ” 

Simon pushed open the door a second later. His shirt was still off, but his pants were back on. Wilhelm concluded that the bang was most likely Simon falling while trying to pull them up. “Hi, Kristina,” Simon mumbled, clutching the silk shirt in his hands.

Wille ran a hand through his hair and did his very best to not look his mother in the eye. Of course, she knew that they were having sex. There was literal video evidence of that, but this was different. She’d literally caught them. Hair messy, lips swollen, Simon half-naked in the closet. The humiliation was palpable. 

“Well… get dressed and come back to the party.” Kristina swallowed an uncomfortable knot in her throat but kept her head held high. “You can stay the night, Simon, so you won’t be headed back to Bjärstad at two in the morning. I’ll send someone out to get you condoms.” 

“Mama!” Wilhelm shouted. He hid his face in his hands and shook the last sentence from his mind. Literally shook his head to get it out. He didn’t need to think about a) his mother supplying them with condoms, or b) some poor employee being sent to buy the condoms . He didn’t want to think about that. “Simon’s not even supposed to be here. He can’t join the party. Can’t I just go back for a half-hour and then say I got sick?” 

Simon didn’t say a word through all of this. He could feel a blush creeping up his neck, but he refused to open his mouth to protest anything at this point. Kristina was standing entirely still, trying to maintain her composure. This experience was mortifying for everyone involved, not just the boys. 

“Wilhelm, you can’t just have a boy in your room,” Kristina decided. Wille let out a strained groan of frustration. Well, sort of. It was somewhere between frustration and humiliation. “What would the staff think?” 

“I think they’ll come to their own conclusions when you ask them to buy us condoms!”

“I am not pleased with this situation, either, Wille. Don’t raise your voice at me.” Kristina huffed and looked away from her son. She knew this was happening. Of course she did. She knew it was happening when she saw the video the first time. She knew it was happening when Simon and Wille shared a room at Drottningholm. She knew it was happening when Wille stayed in Bjärstad. She knew it was happening when they went on vacation with Simon for a month straight. Kristina knew they were having sex. That’s not what she was upset about right now. “I am even less pleased, though, with the people at that party that are convinced they can fix you. So, you are going to sort yourselves out, and we are going to bring your lovely boyfriend to the party and shove him in everyone’s face.” 

Kristina walked away before they could answer. Wille knew the girls his age at that party were confident they could turn him straight, but he never thought about where they got that idea. Their parents must have been discussing the same things with Kristina. Convinced that their children could get Wilhelm out of this phase he was in. 

Kristina turned out to be a stronger ally than either of the boys had thought. She was prepared to flaunt Simon about, in all his gayness, just to prove a goddamn point.

And neither boy could really see the downside of this. They found it all quite amusing. So they straightened out their clothing, fixed each other’s hair, and walked back towards the party, hand in hand.

There would probably be some excuse as to how Simon magically appeared when it was common knowledge that he wasn’t coming. It had been a big deal in gossip magazines when Simon said he wouldn’t be at the New Year’s Gala.

Tabloids had figured out that they were together after Christmas, but they never confirmed anything. Kristina was making good on her promise and letting them just be together without saying anything at all. It was going to be difficult to explain Simon’s sudden appearance at the party, but they didn’t really think about it. They were photographed as a couple frequently, and articles about the two of them were common, but with no confirmation from anyone involved, many people still didn’t really believe it.

Especially their guests of the night, evidently. Because anybody with a daughter around the age of 17 had thrown their hat in the ring to see if they could get Wille out on a date. None of them were going to get this chance, of course. 

As soon as they walked in the door, Kristina noticed them. She’d been awaiting their arrival, checking the door every few seconds to see when they’d enter. The Queen made a very subtle gesture towards them, calling them over to her conversation. She was speaking to a tall, blonde woman who looked like she was certainly homophobic. Sometimes Wille could just tell which of these rich assholes was going to be a rich asshole. 

“Ah, Wilhelm, you remember Analise Bordeaux, right?” Kristina asked, embracing her son. 

Analise Bordeaux was from a long line of French government officials, but her real money came from wine. She owned most of the wineries in France, and quite a few outside the country as well. She was about Kristina’s age, he would have guessed. She very likely had a daughter whom she was trying to offload onto the monarchy. That’s probably why Kristina called him over.

He extended his hand to the woman, who gracefully shook it. “Wilhelm, how lovely to see you again,” she said. To be honest, he had no memory of ever meeting this lady, but he was sure they had spoken at several parties. “I was just telling your mother about how you and my daughter should-” and there it was . 

But before either Wille or Simon could say anything, Kristina interrupted. Another unusual occurrence for her. Interrupting was terrible etiquette, and she avoided it at all costs. Except for when people were being homophobic, it seemed. “And this is Simon, of course. Wilhelm’s boyfriend.” 

Kristina pulled Simon forward by the wrist but made it look as gentle as possible. Simon settled into his PR smile - which Wille thought he’d perfected way too quickly - and held out his hand to the woman. 

The woman who was now literally clutching her pearls. “ Boyfriend?!” she’d nearly shrieked. 

Wille smiled to himself as Kristina and Simon made the same humming noise. They were a lot alike in a lot of ways. He hadn’t seen it at first, but Simon and Kristina had always been a match made in hell. He pitied anyone who tried to stand in their way. 

“Yes, boyfriend . Hello,” Simon answered. His hand was still outstretched politely for her to shake, but it was obvious that she was never going to take it. Wouldn’t want to catch the gay . Wille placed his hand on Simon’s back, but this boy was nowhere near finished with completely appalling this woman. “You probably know me from the sex tape.” 

“Simon!” Wille shouted, completely and utterly mortified. They didn’t do this. They didn’t bring it up at all, but especially not in front of people they didn’t know. Kristina hadn’t said anything at all, though. With a smug smirk and a spark of pride in her eyes, she was just watching as Simon dragged this woman to her own personal hell.

“Oh, good heavens,” Analise huffed. 

“Yes, he is an angel, isn’t he?” Kristina asked jokingly. Wilhelm started to wonder whether his mother had had one too many glasses of wine, if she had just come around to the notion of a gay monarch, or if the change had been happening all along and he had simply missed it. Kristina looked like she was having fun with this. Like proving this ignorant asshole wrong was the most thrilling part of her night. “Come along, dear.” Kristina linked her arm with Simon and walked in the opposite direction of the woman.

They left Wille standing there, in the middle of the ballroom, with his mouth hung wide open. He didn’t know what was worse: his mother influencing Simon to become part of the monarchy, or Simon influencing his mother to embarrass it. Both spelled trouble. 

Ludvig had joined Kristina and Simon a moment later, though Wille was still standing with the sputtering woman. Analise was watching Kristina and Simon laugh together, and every once in a while she’d manage to throw a glare over to Wilhelm.

Tough crowd. 

When his father beckoned him over to the family, Wille obeyed. He didn’t want to stand with this lady in the first place. “ What did you do ?” Ludvig asked him. 

“Wasn’t me!” he defended himself. Wilhelm motioned between the Queen and his boyfriend rapidly. “They did it.” 

“It’s true, we did it,” Simon said with a nod. 

Kristina just hummed happily to herself and sipped her champagne once more. “It was quite fabulous, if I do say so myself.”

Wilhelm and Simon resumed their usual positions, with Simon standing with his back to Wille and Wille’s hands around Simon’s stomach. It was comfortable.

Unfortunately, it reminded Kristina of what she’d walked in on. “Oh, I need to talk to Malin about… the thing.” 

She did talk to Malin about the condoms. Simon did stay the night. However, when they saw the box, and actually talked about using one, they were both far too mortified to even think about opening it. Nothing happened that night, or the next morning before breakfast. Kristina’s evil smirk at the table had made them think that was her plan all along, though. Ludvig remained ignorant, which all three of them were grateful for. 

Easter: 1 Year & 1 Month Back Together

Simon was at Drottningholm that day.

Wille was not.

No one was quite sure how this clash of scheduling happened, nor why no one fixed it, but Simon was here, and Wille was in Vienna with Ludvig. These trips had been on the calendar for months, and no one had cross-checked, apparently. Why on earth would one of them want to be at Drottningholm without the other? Especially Simon?

Why did no one check this?

So, rather than sitting in on meetings with Wille like he often did, he was following Kristina around the palace. He was sitting in on her meetings, offering to help her organize her files, speaking to the staff when she had to take calls. Simon spent the day as Kristina’s assistant.

He’d been assured he could wander as he pleased. He didn’t need a map to get around anymore. Simon was even familiar enough by now to ask the staff for things he needed. He was here just as often as Wille was; he attended just as many meetings as Wille, and in reality, he was an acting member of the royal family.

“I wish you’d relax a little,” Kristina said to him over lunch. They’d been discussing the Easter Party they were supposed to throw at Drottningholm for the better part of the day. It was the first time Simon had been allowed to participate in the organizing of a party. Even if he was only there to hold papers and agree to things he liked, he was still helping.

It was… fun .

Don’t tell the royal family that, though. They’d make him do it all the time.

Simon had grown accustomed to the way things worked around Drottningholm. He sat with straight posture here; he said thank you, but never please, and he nodded his head when people nodded to him. The staff treated him as if he were part of the royal family, and greeted him as such. It was only polite, and Kristina had forced him to be polite.

“You’ll take on more responsibility after you start courting, you know,” she said. 

Simon nearly choked on his drink. Sure, he knew what they were doing here, but no one had ever mentioned courtship . “I’m sorry?” his voice was much smaller than he’d intended it to be.

Kristina didn’t glance up from her phone, which she’d been using all morning to try to reach Ludvig. “Don’t be scared. Nobody’s going to force you to join Congress. All you’ll be doing is helping with parties and all that,” she said. Simon made the calculated decision to not mention the courting. Kristina didn’t seem to think it was significant. She’d said it so casually. “We’ll talk about it more in a few months when we start planning everything.”

Again, he made the decision not to comment. Anything he said could, and would , be used against him. Especially if he was at all negative.

Which he wasn’t.

He loved the idea of officially courting Wilhelm. He just thought 17 was a little young to be working out these life-changing decisions. Then again, he’d pretty much deconstructed the monarchy at 16, so he couldn’t really complain about being treated as an adult.

It was a text from Wille that snapped him out of his trance. It was just one word, but Simon knew it meant so much more.

Hej.

That’s all it said.

And yet, Simon was absolutely positive it wasn’t just a hello. 

“I have to call Wille,” Simon mumbled, pulling up the call button. Something was wrong. No punctuation, no emojis. Just a one-word text. Wille wasn’t doing well.

He switched it to speaker and placed his phone on the table so he could continue eating. Kristina was well-versed in the way they spoke with each other. It didn’t bother her if Wille was on the phone, and Simon didn’t mind if she overheard.

“Hi,” Wille sounded anxious. That was the first thing Simon noticed. He also noticed quickly that Wille had picked up on the first ring.

“Hello, mi amor,” Simon greeted.

There were some things that Simon knew for sure: this was forever, Wille was the love of his life, and Simon’s voice could calm Wille down from anything. These were the three fundamental truths in his mind.

He knew exactly what to do. Make Wille breathe, but do it subtly. Distract him. “ Take a breath . Your mama is letting me help with the Easter Party this year. I could use the practice for when I start planning them on my own someday. I was thinking - take a breath - about an Easter Egg hunt for your little cousins. Then, I thought, if we had an Easter Egg hunt, then we would have to have an Easter Bunny. I’ve never - take a breath - really understood the Easter Bunny, and how he brings eggs for children. What do eggs and bunnies have in common? But it could be fun, you know. All the little ones - take a breath - dressed in their Easter clothes, finding eggs on the Drottningholm lawn. And-” 

Wille exhaled heavily. Calm once more. 

Simon knew three things for sure: this was forever, Wille was the love of his life, and Simon’s voice could calm Wille down from anything.

“Better?” he asked. 

Kristina raised her eyes from her phone, her gaze fixed on Simon, who took another bite of his soup. He wasn’t sure what he was eating anymore. He had learned not to ask. He enjoyed cooking for himself and Wille here at Drottningholm most of the time, but that was mostly for evenings when Kristina and Ludvig were away.

“Better,” Wille answered. Simon smiled to himself before realizing that Kristina was still staring at him. Every once in a while, her gaze would flick to the phone, but mostly she was just observing Simon. “How did you know?” Wille asked.

Simon shook his head, knowing damn well that Wille couldn’t see him. “If I tell you how I know, you’ll stop doing it, and then I’ll never be able to call you to calm you down.”

Wille hummed and sniffled softly to himself. He was calm again, but the aftershocks of a panic attack were still there in his chest. He could distract himself, though. “The Pagan goddess of fertility was portrayed as a rabbit, by the way. And eggs are also a symbol of fertility. That’s why the Easter Bunny brings eggs to the children on Easter. It was originally a Pagan holiday.”

Simon gave himself a gentle smile. Wille knew too many obscure facts for him to keep up sometimes. He assumed this wasn’t something Wille had just read in a book somewhere.

“You spend too much time with Maddie, mi amor,” Simon said. Wille just huffed on the other end of the line, knowing that Simon was probably right. Wille had recently hyper-fixated on every one of Maddie’s witchy hobbies. Tarot cards seemed to be his favorite. That wasn’t important. “Do you want to talk about what’s going on?” 

Simon didn’t need to hear anything to know that Wille was shaking his head in a hotel room somewhere in Vienna. It’s just the way he was. “Just some assholes at the embassy. I won’t have to see them again, though. Don’t worry,” he explained.

Simon was worried about these assholes that Wille wouldn’t have to see again, because chances were that Wille was lying about not having to see them again. Still, Simon chose not to push it. They could talk about it when Wille came home. Trying to force it now would just heighten his anxiety, and Simon couldn’t be there in person to help him breathe. It wasn’t like Ludvig knew how to fully deal with a panic attack, and Malin’s answer was usually to call Simon.

“You should get back to work, though. Thank you for calling,” Wille said.

Simon smiled and picked up his phone, making an exaggerated kissing sound into the microphone. “I love you.” 

“Love you, too.” 

When the phone call ended, Simon finally looked up to meet Kristina’s eyes. She was still just staring. He could see a trace of a smile on her lips, but he had no clue what was going on. He’d not seen this exact look on her before, and despite knowing she was full of surprises, it still made him uneasy. It was never comforting to see the Queen look towards you with an expression you’d never seen before. Even if you were her favorite person. 

“What?” he asked after another moment. 

Kristina shook her head, as if she’d shaken from a trance, and returned her attention to her meal. “Nothing, nothing,” she assured him. Kristina’s smile was starting to grow on her face, but Simon didn’t say anything. “You’re just the only person who understands him like that. He didn’t even need to ask for you to call. You just knew.” 

Simon shrugged as he ate. It was the most improper thing he’d done in hours - that shrug. “I always know when it’s him. I can feel it.” 

Simon knew better than to believe in soulmates, or true love, or whatever else related to fate. But if any of it was true - if there was one person who was meant to be your other half - Simon’s was Wille. They completed each other. Simon could feel when Wille needed him. It was like a nagging in his head. Like if he didn’t do anything to help calm the situation, it would only get louder. Wille was - and always would be - his other half.

They continued to eat together. They chatted softly while the staff continued to work all around them. Just because it was their turn to eat didn’t mean it was everyone else’s time to eat. Kristina, Simon, Kristina’s actual assistant Alice, Simon’s security Angelica, Simon’s security Jörgen, Kristina’s security Elias, and a handful of the others helping them organize the party were all eating lunch at the moment. Everybody was still keeping themselves busy.

Conversations between the Queen and Simon were no longer awkward. It flowed easily and subjects shifted naturally.

“I was serious, though. About the Easter Egg hunt for the little ones,” Simon said after a while. Kristina cocked her eyebrow, indicating that she was interested. “It would be well received by the media, and photos of Wille playing with cute kids would only help his public approval ratings. Besides, it would be a lot of fun”

Simon hated admitting it, but the more time he spent with Wille, and in meetings, and with the PR team, and even with Kristina … the more he cared about things like approval ratings .

Even his own. Those ratings were being studied, as well. His were quite good. Wille’s were slightly worse than his, but not by much. To be completely fair, though, Simon wasn’t technically a member of the royal family yet. He wasn’t even an official suitor. His ratings were only going to get worse the more entangled he became with the monarchy, which he decided he could live with if it meant he could spend the rest of his life with Wille.

Kristina approved with a hum. “I didn’t think I could like you any more than I do, Simon, and yet you prove me wrong.” Kristina lifted her glass in the air to toast her new prodigy. “We’ll begin the plans after lunch. With any luck, we’ll have them done by the time Wille and Ludvig return on Monday. I’ll have your sheets washed.” 

Simon tried not to smile at the last bit. His sheets. The sheets from Wille’s room. The room where Simon stayed. It wasn’t really Wille’s room anymore. It belonged to both of them. Wille and Simon. Simon’s clothes were there, he had his own decorations up, and some of the room had been changed just for him (such as what they stocked in the mini-fridge). It was just as much Simon’s room as Wille’s now.

But Simon refused to smile at that. Because it was unbecoming for a future Prince Consort to get giddy over such things. 

Easter was a resounding success. The monarchy’s approval rating increased substantially. Simon earned the right to help plan even more parties. From then on, Kristina referred to Simon as her “prodigy.”  

Wille hated that. 

Simon and Kristina - as Wille and Ludvig had stated a million times before - were a match made in hell . God help whoever stood in their way.

A Vampire, Darling: 1 Year & 5 Months Back Together

They’d spent the final three weeks of their summer holiday in the same place this year. A vacation villa in Apulia, Italy, just outside of Polignano a Mare.

It was the countryside. The rural countryside. They used to spend a lot of time there when Wille was a kid, but it had been a long time since they’d been back. He wasn’t sure why they’d decided to spend so much time there this year, but he was able to bring Simon, and Simon was able to bring his family.

Sara and Linda were hesitant to take so much time off from work for a three-week holiday in Italy, but Kristina assured them that she would step in if they had any problems taking the time off. When the Queen asked for something, it was hard to say no. Employers usually crumbled under her stare. Linda and Sara ultimately agreed to come with, simply so Kristina wouldn’t speak to their employers.

They were thoroughly enjoying themselves now that they were here.

Wille and Simon were taking advantage of the time away from the paparazzi. Sure, there was a handful who had followed them from the airport, but this was rural Italy . Without proper directions or escorts, getting to the house was difficult already, and the nearby town was so small that it didn’t even have a hotel – just a very small inn in the back of an old woman’s house. (Her name was Traviata, and Wille adored her.)

Not many people were coming out here just for a blurry photograph of the Royal Family enjoying the last three weeks of vacation.

Even if Wille and Simon were there. 

The media was getting rather heavy with their new theories about the couple, and two summers of traveling together in a row hadn’t been the most subtle answer. It was constant . The courting announcement had been planned for some time and even had a date selected, but nothing had been made public yet. Just a few private Instagram posts here and there.

They were cautious even then. They’d put money on when the Forest Ridge Boys would figure them out, and they weren’t going to give up on that bet.

So, of course, it was nice to have a break from the flash of so many fucking cameras. Sometimes it felt like they couldn’t even have dinner in Bjärstad without someone flashing a camera at them. Paparazzi weren’t even subtle about it anymore.

The Queer Crown Prince and His Lover Discovered Eating Falafel Together.

Love Is In The Air For The Gay Prince and His Boyfriend.

Wilhelm, The Queer Prince, and Simon, His Boyfriend, Spotted Eating Pineapple on Pizza: Thoughts?

Those were all actual articles from the last six months. And they weren’t even official yet.

Kristina had gotten quite good at this game, though: guessing what kind of outlandish titles people could come up with. It was her favorite pastime. She used it to tease them immensely. No one could deny how good she’d gotten at it, either. She was so accurate that Wille had to ask if she was one of the anonymous bloggers: of course she hadn’t been - she was just freakishly good at this.

But the break from the cameras had made them negligent. Sara had to remind them many times to refrain from touching one another when they visited the little town. Because, despite the fact that it was a rural town, these people had cell phones.

As a result, they were told to mostly stay at the house. 

They obliged.

Linda and Ludvig had struck up a friendship approximately six months earlier. They bonded over their obscure knowledge of American West films. Because of that, Wille and Simon did their best to stay away from the movie room at all times. There were plenty of other TVs available that did not display guns or cowboys. Ludvig and Linda could have their own, extremely strange , summer marathon of middle-aged men riding horses and shooting at one another, whilst speaking in accents none of them could truly understand.

Sara spent a lot of time with the locals, shopping and horseback riding, and other things that neither boy could find themselves taking an interest in. She found that she quite enjoyed having the freedom to buy anything she wanted whenever she wanted. She and Kristina had even gone shopping together a few times, which Simon thought was weird.

Simon and Wille tagged along with her sometimes, but then Sara would just get irritated with their touching, and they’d end up leaving her alone, anyway. It got a little better in the final week, however, when Felice joined them, and Sara found herself in the company of someone she actually liked.

Kristina busied herself with a lot of things. She took up cooking, especially making noodles from scratch, and baking had always been one of her favorite pastimes. An older gentleman named Arbeto had been asked to come to the house and give her cooking lessons. He had been enthusiastic about it - not because she was royalty, but because he really loved cooking.

Kristina also spent a lot of time in the pool, where she would inevitably get irritated with Wille and Simon and eventually leave - because they discovered that tanning by the pool was a pretty effective way for them to unashamedly stare at each other in minimal clothing. Kristina would occasionally join Ludvig and Linda in the movie room, but she truly despised Old West films. Particularly the American kind.

Malin and Angelica also accompanied them. They’d brought a small team of security with them, but they weren’t really necessary. There was a head of security for the Royal Family as a whole, a few guards for the entire house, two of Simon’s guards, two Wille’s of guards, two of Kristina’s guards, two of Ludvig’s guards, one guard for Linda and Sara, and one specialty guard Simon didn’t want to know the purpose of.

They had personnel on patrol, but most of the time, the security just joined in on the fun. Malin and Angelica worked together when they worked, which was convenient since they were on Wille and Simon’s teams, respectively. They were able to pretty much just take a holiday as a married couple and get paid for it.

Even they got sick of Simon and Wille. 

So Simon and Wille spent most of their vacation by themselves. And they were not complaining. Not in the slightest. It was a break from the cameras, and a break from the responsibilities, and they let themselves be boys.

Teenage boys. 

Who had hormones. 

The fact that they shared a bed didn’t help matters. They had always shared a bed, but being on vacation in the middle of nowhere, in a beautiful villa, made that bed seem a little more like an invitation. Luckily, they’d been discreet enough in purchasing the essentials of these actions that no one else was aware of its frequency.

They might have suspected, but they didn’t know.

They had no proof.

“They have no proof. “

“You’re not quiet enough for them to not know. “

“Shut up, dumbass.”

They were down to their last day of vacation now, and the reality of returning to the real world was sinking in. They were going to have to return to their normal lives, with the stupid articles and pictures taken of them every five minutes. They couldn’t stay in Italy forever. Regardless of how much they wanted to.

Breakfast on their last day in Italy had been mandatory for everyone in the house. Everyone . Including security. 

Wille and Simon were the last ones to arrive at breakfast. They’d gotten up hours ago, but no one else knew that. They’d been really busy . Everybody else could think they’d just slept in.

No one thought they slept in . They all knew the truth. The boys weren’t subtle.

Everyone else, however, was already seated and eating. It was a lavish spread of pastries, jams, juices, and fresh fruits. Pretty much anything they could have ever wanted was on the table. Kristina was the only one who hadn’t made it to their seat, though she was most likely in the kitchen. She’d been in charge of the pastries and other treats. Of course, she’d had assistance preparing it all, but she’d spent most of the summer learning how to make them. They were all pleasantly surprised at just how good they were.

As soon as he said his good mornings, Wille began heaping sugary treats onto his plate. Before he sat down, Simon kissed Sara and Linda on the cheek and gave Felice a hug. Before the danish could reach Wille’s mouth, Simon smacked it out of his hand.

“Nej! Nej, mi amor, come la carne primero. You’ll complain later about the texture if you don’t.” Simon understood Wille’s eating habits better than anybody else. He always wanted to start with the sugary item in front of him. When he finally tried to eat something different, usually meat, he complained about the texture. It typically ended with Simon scolding him and Wille having a severe protein deficiency. They’d begun incorporating sugary protein drinks into Wille’s diet in order to prevent him from having fragile bones.

Wilhelm just smiled to himself, though. “You switched languages again,” he said.

Wilhelm understood Simon’s language patterns better than anybody else did. He rapidly switched between languages, often oblivious to the fact that he had done so. Usually, he had to wait until someone pointed it out to even recognize that he had said something they couldn’t understand. Wille, fortunately, could usually decipher whatever the fuck Simon was trying to say. It was, however, a bad habit they were attempting to break. So, Wille called it out every time Simon did it.

It usually ended up in Wille winning the argument. This was no different. Simon rolled his eyes and kissed Wille on the forehead before giving in. The peach danish was delicious, or at least Wille thought so.

“You two are gross,” Sara said. She’d seen them do this every day for the last year and a half. She’d witnessed it closely for three weeks now. She’d had enough of it. She was sick of it. Sick of them . Sick of them and their stupid, stupid love.

Felice hummed in agreement and picked up a bite of egg on her spoon. “Disgustingly happy. We get it, you’re in love,” she said. 

“It’s not our fault that you two are chronically single,” Simon said.

“Actually, it is. Do you know how many people ask us out just to talk to you?” Sara asked.

Wille laughed and wiped the crumbs from his mouth. “It’s our fault you two choose idiots to crush on?” he asked.

Sara had a deadpan expression on her face as she glanced over at her almost brother-in-law. “Choosing idiots is a family trait.”

Simon and Felice were howling with laughter. Ludvig and Linda avoided looking up from their conversation as much as they could. Laughing at Wille wouldn’t improve the situation, no matter how very much they wanted it to.

Kristina arrived shortly after, placing the last plate of pastries on the table. She made her way over to Simon and placed a kiss on his mop of curls. “Good morning, älskling.” Wille was her next stop. She kissed him on the head as well, but she lingered a little too long. With a heavy sigh, she put her finger on his chin and turned it to the side. “ Simon , if you’re going to leave hickies, at least make them in a less noticeable spot. He’s the Crown Prince for god’s sake.” 

Both Simon and Wille spat their coffee out. Literally . On the table. Sara and Felice shrieked and covered their food with their hands. Malin, at the opposite end of the table, let out a highly inappropriate snort, which Angelica shushed.

Wille and Simon were trying, and failing, to regain some kind of composure. They’d made hickies before, had them noticed before, but not like this. Not in front of everyone. 

“I- I’m sorry?” Simon sputtered. His eyes were incredibly wide, and a blush had appeared on his cheeks. He was staring at Wille, who was, as it turned out, flaunting a brilliant purple hickey on his neck. He didn’t remember that being there last night when they went to bed. He must have left it sometime between when they turned the lights off and when they went downstairs.

“Honestly, on the day we have a very public dinner in the city. The media is going to see that,” Kristina elaborated, taking her seat beside Ludvig. “We’re all very aware that you enjoy sucking on each other’s necks, but the media is going to call you a vampire, darling.” 

Wille slapped his fingers to his neck. It was a harsh slap. Harsh enough that it sent a loud smacking sound through the room. Felice giggled to herself at the deeply pink color that was vividly displayed on Wilhelm’s entire face.

Sara was not amused whatsoever, though Simon had always thought that the idea of sex or sexual behavior had been foreign to her. She never appeared to be interested in any of it and was definitely irritated by the amount of sex Simon and Wille were having. He would never, ever , in a million years, ask her about that, though.

Linda flashed an amused grin as she drank her coffee. “Cariño, if you want people to know he’s your boyfriend so badly, we could just go public,” she teased. 

Simon covered his face with his hands as Angelica and Malin began to cackle hysterically. They, of course, were well aware of what these two had been up to. More than they would have liked. It was like cosmic payback for how much shit they’d put their security through.

“I’m sure Wilhelm would gladly let you take a sharpie to his forehead if you asked nicely,” Ludvig contributed. 

“We’ve tried that before,” Sara said. 

“It didn’t go so well,” Felice added. 

Wilhelm shuddered at the memory. For three days, he’d had the word “friend” scrawled in large black letters across his forehead. It had also been misspelled. Fortunately, it was the weekend, and he had been able to hide out at the Erikssons. But this marking - the one currently on his neck - would not be so easily hidden.

They had a very public last dinner in the city, as his mother had said. They were all going to dine at a very fancy restaurant before their flight back to Stockholm, where they’d all be spending the night at Drottningholm due to it being the early hours of the morning.

This was not the kind of occasion for Wilhelm to wear a scarf. Especially not all night long. And it was summer, so he couldn’t wear a turtleneck. Attempting to hide it would just be more suspicious than proudly displaying it.

There would be cameras, and there would be press, and there would be people with cellphones who definitely knew who they were. He wasn’t going to be able to hide this. People were going to see it. And people were going to see Simon. And people were going to put two and two together.

Not that they hadn’t done that already.

He just hoped the Forest Ridge Boys didn’t think he got the hickey from Simon. Or hoped they wouldn’t notice it at all. This bet was too fucking important to lose now. Even their parents were in on it. They knew that’s why Wille and Simon hadn’t gone public yet, and despite their warnings about the dangers of gambling, they supported their absolutely deranged plan.

The press did notice the hickey. They wrote about the hickey. In one gossip column, in the back corner of the internet, by sheer coincidence, Simon did get called a vampire.

Kristina found it all very amusing. Simon wanted to die of embarrassment. Wille didn’t stop blushing until the hickey went away. 

They still weren’t sure how Kristina got so good at guessing headlines, but they were starting to think they didn’t want to know. 

Parents’ Day: 2 Years & 1 Month Back Together (two months after the table)

Parents’ Day had snuck up on them. They’d helped with the planning, sent out all of the invitations, lectured all of the First Years on proper etiquette, and even selected the décor. Henry, Walter, Wille, and Simon had meticulously planned every element of the day, right down to the kind of flowers on the tables.

This day was going to be perfect so help them, god . 

Felice, Sara, and Maddie had all pitched in as well, but this was mostly for the boys. They’d thrown themselves into the preparations in order to avoid the inescapable awkward moments of the actual day. This was the first time Simon and Wille would be officially in society as a courting couple, and this was the first time Henry and Walter would be in society as a couple at all .

They were stressed. 

Very, very stressed. 

When the actual day arrived, they weren’t expecting it. Well, they’d been expecting it but were pushing off acknowledging it.

They had all four spent the night in Wille’s room. There were two couples and two beds. It worked . Especially when they had all spent the night worrying themselves sick, just to get up at five o’clock in the morning to prepare for the day.

Their parents were coming.

All of them. 

Except for Micke, that is. They had offered him a large sum of money in exchange for his leaving the country and never coming back. He’d accepted. A lot like August had, if they really thought about it. They all tried not to think about him, but August had been firmly embedded into their skin like a deeply regretted tattoo.

But Linda was coming. Kristina and Ludvig were coming. Hugo and Margreta - Henry’s parents - were coming. Linar and Darlene - Walter’s parents - were coming.

They were all coming.

They were going to see the four of them interact for the first time, not as friends, but as two couples.

They were freaking the fuck out . 

They were freaking out as they were putting the finishing touches on the decorations. They freaked out as they got ready. They freaked out when the choir sang. They freaked out as they joined the girls at the front of the school. They freaked out when their parents started to arrive.

They freaked. the fuck. out.  

Without thinking about it, Henry and Walter had reached for one other. Their hands were normally clasped together now that they were dating.

A lot like Simon and Wille, who were not just entangled at their hands. Their entire bodies were intertwined. Wille cradled Simon to his chest. Simon leaned back and rested his head on Wille’s shoulder. They were often like this, and they weren’t really bothered by the cameras anymore.

They were officially courting. After the Forest Ridge boys found out, they pushed the announcement date up. There was no longer any need to wait, and everyone already kind of knew they were together. Kristina thought it was better to announce it sooner rather than later. Things never really cooled down after the Hickey Incident.

The photographers were there to capture pictures of all the parents greeting their children, but they’d get a fortune for images of “the happy couple” on their “first official debut.” They couldn’t resist that.

Simon and Wille had acclimated to the media presence by now.

“Your parents know, right?” Walter asked his boyfriend, rocking back and forth on his feet.

Of the four boys, he had been the most tense. His father apparently had some things to say about his being queer. Wille , of all people, had been blamed.

“I knew I shouldn’t have encouraged this friendship with that boy. I don’t care who he is, he is the problem at that school. Flaunting such things.”

Not that any of this had been a choice. If any of them had the option to be straight, they would very certainly have chosen it. That would have made life a lot fucking easier.

“They know we’re not just friends?” Walter asked again.

Henry nodded and squeezed his hand. Henry’s parents had suspected he wasn’t straight for a long time. They’d known for some time that Henry and Walter were more than friends. It was Walter’s parents who were the last to arrive at that conclusion.

Darlene had told her husband that he could either accept it or leave, and he had decided not to be an asshole after that. It was still scary, though, to introduce his parents to Henry as his boyfriend for the first time.

“It’s going to be fine, Walter,” Wille tried to assure him. This became something that the two of them had bonded over. Their parents not being supportive at first, that is. “If my mother can come around, your father can.”

It was the most reassuring thing he could say. His mother, the Queen, had come around to the idea of her son being queer. She’d made a whole brand out of it by now. They had branded themselves as the first Royal Family to have a queer member. They’d profited off of it. Made a profit off of Wille being a future queer King. If Kristina could come around, Walter’s father could. 

Henry raised his head and kissed Walter on the cheek. “He’s right, Walt. Everything is going to be fine,” he said.

Simon didn’t say anything about the nervousness in Henry’s voice. It was better to let them believe that Henry was the strong one. That he wasn’t terrified. Walter needed Henry to be calm. Simon wasn’t going to break that facade. 

He remembered how nervous he had been when he first met Wille’s parents. Likewise, he remembered how anxious he was when introducing Wille to his own parents for the first time. He knew that Henry and Walter needed at least one of them to be brave. He wasn’t going to ruin that. 

Simon and Wille were quite content to spend the whole day standing beside their friends. Unfortunately, Kristina, Ludvig, and Linda arrived in the same car, which kind of threw them off. The two of them couldn’t decide whether or not it was weird. Seeing their parents in the same car. Seeing Linda in a luxury car so casually. The three of them showing up to Parents’ Day together like they were family.

It seemed like it should be weird, and yet it just wasn’t.

They exchanged greetings, hugs and kisses on the cheek, before being quickly ushered inside. That was the effect of being a member of the royal family. You could only stand outside for so long in front of journalists. People wanted to make you comfortable, and having to stand in front of the press wasn’t very comfortable. Anyone who wished to be in their good graces tried to keep them away from the cameras, even if they weren’t asked to.

Even throughout the lunch, the four boys were silently communicating with one another. They were seated at tables next to each other so that they could all exchange uncomfortable glances when necessary. It was a commonly noticed, and widely ignored , gesture. No one said anything about how nervous they all seemed. It would only end up making them more nervous.

Sara was irritated that she again wouldn’t be able to sit with Felice and Madison this year. She was assured that they could spend the remainder of the day together if they very well pleased.

“Simon and Wilhelm are courting, Sara. They have to sit at the same table.”

Sara knew it was a bad idea to argue with Kristina. So Felice and Madison sat with Stella and Fredrika, while Sara made do with her own oddly blended family at the table.

The meal had gone fine .

A few of the First Years who hadn’t gotten accustomed to Wille being the Crown Prince kept glancing at them, but that wasn’t uncommon. Some things were easier to get used to than others.

The stares didn’t even appear to bother anybody at this table anymore. Even Linda had mastered the art of the publicity grin, and her social interactions were significantly less awkward now than they had been the first time she had been to Hillerska two years earlier.

Henry and Walter got stuck at a table with Anton and Marcus.

Well, not stuck .

They were relieved to be among friends rather than First Years, who looked at them as if they’d hung the moon. For some reason, their popularity only grew more when they formally became a couple. It wasn’t enough that they were close friends of the Crown Prince, but now they were gay . They were practically celebrities, and they didn’t know why.

The issue with having to sit with these two lay with the fact that they were extremely talented at teasing the couple. Particularly Anton, who was literally related to Walter. This wasn’t just friendly teasing, but family teasing.

It didn’t help that Walter’s parents were just now coming around to the concept of Walter having a boyfriend. One joke too far, and the conversation completely dwindled into nothingness. The couple glanced over at Simon and Wille for assistance, but there was only so much they could do. It wasn’t like they were at the same table, and Wille and Simon were dealing with their own uncomfortable interactions.

Or the lack of them, really. The uncomfortability of it all came from the fact that everyone in the room was staring at them but refused to say anything.

The four boys drifted back together after the lunch. There were plenty of parents walking up to greet Wilhelm and his family, but Henry and Walter were parked by his side the rest of the afternoon. No one appeared to question it. Even when someone did, their kids seemed to be able to just respond, “they’re just like that sometimes,” and move on. It was the singular benefit of being the most well-known students at Hillerska.

When individuals approached the royal family and bowed their heads to Kristina, Ludvig, Wille, and finally Simon , he was horrified .

Horrified didn’t even come close to describing how he felt.

Simon had no idea what to do. He politely nodded back, but only after Kristina kicked him in the shin to get his attention. Even that required the bulk of his effort. He knew he’d be treated differently after they were official, but this was…

They bowed to him.

That must have been against some law, somewhere.

Right? 

For the last several weeks, pictures had been a controversial subject. Nobody was quite sure who was meant to be in the pictures on Parents’ Day or who was meant to avoid cameras at all costs. They’d all been too scared to ask. Especially now that Wille and Simon had made their relationship official.

Did it mean that their families took photos together?

Did it mean that they couldn’t take pictures with Henry and Walter?

Did it mean that Sara and Wille had to take pictures together?

No one wanted to ask. The solution for everyone involved was to avoid cameras altogether.

Simon and Henry had dodged multiple photographers who’d asked them to pose. Walter had literally jumped behind a bush to avoid being spotted. Sara, Felice, and Maddie stayed in a tight group and only took photos together, and with no one else. Wille only took photographs with his parents and avoided Linda to the point that everyone noticed that he was avoiding Linda. 

It was a disaster . 

They were on the verge of surviving this disaster, though. Until the Royal Family’s last picture.

Walter, Henry, and Simon stood off to the side, watching Wille grin for the cameras alongside his mother. It was the four thousandth picture of the royal family from that day, but that was neither here nor there.

They all knew, logically, that people had been taking candid photographs of them all day - they always did - but none of them had been posed. They weren’t sure whether they were allowed to take posed photos. And, again, they weren’t about to ask.

“Alright, last one,” the female photographer said. She lifted her camera to line up the shot, but Kristina raised her hand.

“No, wait. Simon, you haven’t been in any yet,” she realized. Simon sank further into his body. Getting photographed with the royal family was nothing new to him, yet it still caused his soul to leave his body. Especially when it was Kristina who asked him to participate in the photos. He was still a little disbelieving of the fact that she actually liked him. “Get in the picture!” 

Simon looked at Henry and Walter, who had become three times paler than they had been at the beginning of the day. “But… it- it’s Parents ’ Day,” he said. It was a combination of his own stress and the anxiety that was feeding off of his friends that caused him to say it. He hadn’t stuttered, especially not in front of the Queen, since the day he’d met her. 

Something about this damn day.

Kristina sighed and motioned him over once again with a roll of her eyes. “Yes, it is Parents’ Day, and you’re practically my son. Get over here .” 

He didn’t argue again. He strolled up to the Royal Family, took a space between Wille and Kristina, and grinned. The ridiculous PR smile that he’d perfected in his first few months of dating the Crown Prince. A smile that Wille usually knocked right off Simon’s face when he looked at him.

Because when it came to Wille, he couldn’t fake a smile. It was always genuine. No matter how much he trained that press grin, it always seemed to fail when he glanced at Wille.

And, truthfully, Kristina couldn’t be mad about that. Even if their grins for the press were a little less dignified than they should have been.

At least both her sons were happy.